Michigan
Toledo
Michigan Speeds Past Toledo, Toronto in Double Dual
10/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Oct. 23, 2009
• Complete Results | Notes & Quotes
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Canham Natatorium)
Results: U-M 170, Toledo 120; U-M 198, Toronto 81
Record: U-M (3-0)
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sat., Oct. 30-31 -- at Texas, Indiana (Austin, Texas), Noon/10 a.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- In the first home meet of the season, the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team won both diving events and 12-of-15 swimming events to speed by Toledo, 170-120, and the University of Toronto, 198-81, in a double-dual meet Friday afternoon (Oct. 23) at Canham Natatorium. With the two wins, Michigan improves its record to 3-0 on the young season.
Fifth-year senior Emily Brunemann (Crescent Springs, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) continued the scortching start to her season. A 2008 NCAA champion, Brunemann won three events -- the 1,000-yard freestyle, 400-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle. Fellow senior and 11-time All-American Margaret Kelly (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) won the 200-yard feestyle (1:50.94) and dominated the field in the 200-yard individual medley (2:01.95). Kelly also gave Michigan a head start during the first leg of the 200-yard medley relay and was the anchor of the 400-yard freestyle relay (both wins).
Sophomore Liz Johnson (Milford, Mich./Milford) swept both backstroke races, picking up her second win of the season in the 100-yard backstroke (57.08) by the slimmest of margins, one one-hundreth of a second. Johnson later won the 200-yard backstroke (2:02.58), with freshman Mattie Kukors (Auburn, Wash./Mountainview) coming in right behind her in second.
Michigan also swept both diving events, with sophomore Amanda Lohman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) taking first place in both the one- and three-meter dives. Senior Stephanie O'Callaghan (Howell, Mich./Howell) and junior Rachael Ropeik (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron) alternated second and third in both events.
The Wolverines return to the pool next weekend in Austin, Texas, when they take on Texas and Big Ten rival Indiana next Friday and Saturday (Oct. 30-31). Action will start at noon on Friday and at 10 a.m. Saturday. The three teams met last season in Ann Arbor, but Michigan fell to both in a double dual (225-164 to Texas; 232-157 to Indiana).
Head Coach Jim Richardson
On team's performance ... "I think we trained really well this week. The performances today were reflective of who was back healthy and who still had a way to go. Overall, I would give us high marks because we trained really well during the week and used what they had left in the meet today."
On the performances from Kelly and Brunemann ... "Emily had a very, very good swim today in the 1,000. Margaret was solid all the way through. Opening up the season at home with those two swimming like that was really special."
On what to build off of ... "We have Texas and Indiana next week and Florida and Stanford the week after, so it doesn't get any easier. We don't have any control over what people do. We just want to be a little bit better at the end of the week than we were the week before. We have a systematic way of training, so I don't worry about where we are right now versus anybody else. Next week, we want to be better. We want to be better Monday through Thursday and open it up Friday and Saturday."
Michigan Head Diving Coach Chris Bergere
On his team's performance Friday ... "I tend to have a silver lining view when I look at my divers. I saw a lot of good things out there today. I just want to reinforce the positive with them and then tomorrow morning at practice, we will get down to some of the corrections they need to make."
On Amanda Lohmann ... "She's a strong diver and is someone who really gets up for the meets. She likes to perform and has a real shot to compete at nationals. She just has to do it well, but I think she will be there for us."
On the performances from Stephanie O'Callaghan and Rachael Ropeik ... "Stephanie [O'Callaghan] is one of the seniors on our team and did a great job today on the one-meter, coming in a close second. Rachael [Ropeik] did an outstanding job on three-meter and has worked really hard to get her dives in a better place. I see a lot of positive things this early in the season and that is encouraging."
U-M Fifth-Year Senior Emily Brunemann
On her home debut ... "It feels incredible to be back. Very exciting. I think that is one of the reasons I am doing really well. I have a lot of energy built up and it felt great to put on a good show for the home crowd."
On evaluating her performance ... "I was very happy with my performance in the 1,000 today, because I wasn't expecting to do that well. The team is very well rounded and it was good to see that we were cheering each other on and motivating each other today."
On what the team can do to improve ... "I don't necessarily know that there's anything that we need to improve upon. I know a lot of our girls are tired and that's just where we are in the season right now. I think we're putting out a great effort, which is important. Right now, it doesn't matter if we're at our peak. We need to be there in February and March."
N O T E S
• With the win, Michigan remains perfect all-time against both Toledo (4-0) and Toronto (2-0).
• Michigan took first place in 12 of a possible 15 swimming events and both diving events.
• Brunemann won the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:43.00, touching the wall 22 seconds ahead of senior teammate Emily Hanson (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community), who finished in second (10:05.83).
• Though it was not scored, the 400-yard individual medley was dominated by the Wolverines. Brunemann, Kelly, Kukors and junior Claire Tyler (Rochester, Mich./Adams) took the top four spots, respectively.
• Senior Leigh Cole (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) had a productive afternoon in the pool, taking first in the 100-yard freestyle (51.56) and finishing second in the 50-yard freestyle to senior Natasha Moodie (Miramar, Fla./Miramar).
• All three of Michigan's entrants in the 200-yard breaststroke were freshmen: Julia Andracki (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect), Val Barthelemy (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and Melissa Lang (Edison, N.J./Bishop George).
• Lohman's first-place finish atop the one-meter board was her second straight to start the season. She improved upon her 285.60 score against Notre Dame (Oct. 10) with a 307.50 Friday.
• There was a 15-minute delay prior to the start of the women's 500-yard freestyle due to a lighting issue. Two separate power surges temporarily knocked out power to the Natatorium, but it was quickly restored.
Contact: Brad Rudner (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
